ERODE: K A Sengottaiyan won the Gobichettipalayam seat in the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections with 71,380 votes and a margin of nearly 13,000 over DMK candidate N Nallasivam, contesting under the TVK banner.The result carried added significance as Sengottaiyan, a veteran leader with deep roots in the region, shifted from AIADMK to TVK, giving the contest unusual importance. His win suggested his personal influence remained strong and that voters in Gobichettipalayam transferred their trust to him despite his change in party affiliation. “This marked his 10th consecutive victory here,” said a TVK functionary. He expressed confidence that for TVK, the victory boosted the party in Western Tamil Nadu, a region where established Dravidian parties traditionally dominated. “By securing Gobichettipalayam through a leader of Sengottaiyan’s stature, TVK demonstrated it could compete seriously in constituencies once considered difficult to penetrate,” he added.